Meanwhile In The Real World
by TheGraey1
Summary: An AU story. What if Chigusa AKA Atoli confronts Toru AKA Sakaki in the real world about he and AIDA did to her at the end of GU Vol. 1? Let's just say its not a pretty picture at all. Story is rated M for graphic violence and strong language.


_Author's Note: This story is an AU(Alternate Universe)and IS RATED M FOR MATURE! EXTREME VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE! FOR ANYONE UNDERAGE, IT'S TIME TO GET OUT OF THE POOL. THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE LITTLE ONES TO SEE HERE SO MOVE ALONG! As for the rest of you enjoy the story . . .if you dar**e**_

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**Meanwhile in the Real World . . .**

Toru Uikeran ran for his life. He did not expect things to turn out as they did. He had not planned for things to turn out as they did. At first he had no plans on coming home but he had to keep up appearances for the time being. He got home after dark choosing to listen to his jerk parent's scream and yell at him for one last time. After tomorrow they would out of his life forever.

When Toru got home he noticed the front door was partly open. He opened the door and went in. Perhaps his old man had thrown stuff out. Toru swore wondering if that bastard had thrown out the computer. That control freak was always threatening to get rid of Toru's possessions. Toru pushed the anger away. He would have access to another computer tomorrow so getting into it with the old man would be pointless.

The house was barely lit. Toru carefully navigated the room to find the light switch. He slipped on something wet and fell to the ground. "What the hell?" he said. The stuff was wet and sticky. He got up and tripped over something else. "Damn it!"

Toru finally made it to the light switch and turned it on. He turned around in anger then horror. His parents were on the floor dead in a pool of their blood. Limbs were nearly hacked off. Their stomachs were cut up open and their innards pulled out of them. The small intestines were wrapped around their necks.

Toru finally let lose with a scream when he realized the stuff on him was his parents' blood. He saw the open front door and ran to for it. The murderer could still be in the house. Then the door slowly closed. Toru stopped in his tracks.

The murderer was behind the door waiting for him hiding in shadow the light cast. A teenage girl about sixteen stepped out the shadow. Her clothes drenched with the blood of her victims. Her eyes lost in psychotic fervor and her head lowered. Her long hair covered most of her face. It reminded Toru of classic movies like Ringu and Ju-Jon: The Grudge. Except in this case the creepy girl was covered in blood. She held a butcher's knife that dripped blood. Her smile was blood-covered teeth.

"Hello Toru," whispered the murderer who moved her blood soaked hair back so Toru could see her blood covered face.

"I-I know you?" stammered Toru while silently cursing himself for talking to her but he did recognize her voice from somewhere.

"We know each other . . .just not on this plane of existence," said the girl. "I'm surprised a little boy like you has caused me so much harm. In this world I am called Chigusa Kusaka."

Toru knew what those words meant and there was only one person in that other place he truly harmed. "Atoli," he choked.

"Yes, its me Sakaki," said Chigusa making it sound like a curse word.

"What happened to you," rasped Toru.

"I can't believe the mastermind in The World is such a dumbass in this one," said Chigusa with disappointment.

"Oh god what did I do," said Toru.

"Like you care what happened to me!" yelled Chigusa. She pointed a knife at his parents. "You won't cry for them! You feel nothing for others you sick bastard!" Chigusa knife hand shook. "But I'll fix you like you fixed me. I'll get to the root of your problems and let them be released to the whole world."

"How is this happening? You're supposed to be in The World," choked Toru.

Chigusa tilted her head to the side. "AIDA didn't like my mind," she said with a smile.

Toru realized the horrible truth about Atoli and her player. Her dependent and irrational behavior and odd mood swings. A sixteen-year-old girl with a mentality of a nine year old who refuses to act her age and is always starving for attention. "You were always insane," he said.

"Maybe, maybe not," pouted Chigusa. "But what you and AIDA did free us from all constraints. After Haseo defeated Tri-Edge, AIDA stole my Avatar. I resisted of course and AIDA tried to take over my mind. Of course you know about some of that. We fought and something bad happened to me and AIDA left with my Avatar and that nearly broke my mind. After I recovered and discovered my useless arm I decided that was enough of taking shit from everyone around me. Everyone thinks I'm at a hospital getting treatment for Doll Syndrome but I'm not. Just finishing up business like getting my Avatar back and taking care of people who have pissed me off!"

"Chigusa, please, lets call the police. They'll help you. I'll even say someone else did this," said Toru with same tone and manner he used in The World to control others.

Chigusa laughed and said, "Bullshit and you know it! I said I was freed of all constraints and that includes you. Of course it was Sakaki and you are he and to get to him I must cut you open. Nothing personal, its just who I am now."

"God, please I'm begging you," sobbed Toru.

"I like games, don't you?" asked Chigusa. "Let's play hide and seek. Five minutes." Toru stood dumbly not believing what he was hearing. "You better hurry Toru. This is the only chance you will have to escape."

Toru took the hint and ran for the back door in the kitchen and into the night. He ran to the neighbor's house. He rang the doorbell and banged the door. "Damn it!" he yelled. Nobody was home. Toru tried another house and nobody was there either.

Toru figured he already wasted two minutes running around trying to find someone. He had to hide and do it quickly. Toru ran down the street hoping to find somebody who was home. Each house passed showed darkness from within. "Is everyone out or something?" he grumbled.

Toru continued running trying to get away from Chigusa as fast as possible. He had hoped and prayed he would find somebody on the street to help him. Even the streets were empty. Toru ran through the public park. There was a forest nearby he knew pretty well. He could hide there until the morning and then he could find help.

When he got to the other side of the park Toru stopped to catch his breath. He heard a whistle behind him. He turned around and saw moonlight shine of a red and silver object. "No," he said. Toru could make out Chigusa's dark figure in the moonlight as she neared him and the red and silver object was her knife.

"After I learned you had betrayed me I thought I would never be able to enjoy any kind of game again. It's an odd thought I know but I'm glad I was wrong." Chigusa laughed like a little girl. "I am enjoying this game a lot."

"But I'm not," said Toru.

"Don't worry you'll lose this game soon enough," said Chigusa. "There's still time to find help."

Toru ran away from her. He headed for the forest and the safety he hoped it could provide. He stumbled and when he regained his balance he found he was nowhere the forest. He was in the middle of town in the business section. "How the hell?" he said. He could not have gotten this confused.

"At least give me a challenge," echoed Chigusa's voice.

Toru ran as fast as he could. The next thing he knew he was in an alley. "What's going on?" he yelled.

"For someone who's so smart in The World you are such a dumbshit in this one," said Chigusa.

Toru turned to Chigusa. "A dream, this has gotta be a dream," he said. "This isn't real."

"Maybe you're right," said Chigusa. "Explains the gun in your hand."

Toru looked at his hand and there was a gun.

"You know what to do with it," said Chigusa.

"Yeah, yeah, I do," he replied. He raised the gun at Chigusa except it was no longer in his hand. "How the fuck are you doing this!"

"So busy ignoring everyone else and listening to your own shit filled voice," sighed Chigusa. "Remember what I said. I got my Avatar back."

"Oh no," said Toru with horrible understanding.

Innis appeared above Chigusa. Toru did have some AIDA within his mind but it was just enough to give him the edge and sharpness he needed to enact his plan in both the real world and the game. It was also enough to let him see the Avatars. "You created a mirror town."

"The person who was Sirius in the game was just as stubborn in real life. I didn't want to kill him but he left me no choice. After I reunited with Innis, it showed me that you were the one responsible for what happened. I didn't want to believe but Avatars don't lie," said Chigusa. "No, this isn't a mirror town. Such a thing is impossible in the real world even for an Avatar. However we are blind to the real world and they are blind to us. We are as ghosts to them. Such is the power of the Mirage of Deceit. The illusions that Innis created to lead you here and the gun are also part of Innis' power. We'd like to personally thank you for all you've done for us."

"P-please, don't kill me," sobbed Toru.

"Innis does have the power to Data Drain here. Using that power on a real person makes quite a mess as my parents found out. The blood sprayed walls of their bedroom showed the power very well as they exploded. Don't worry you won't die," said Chigusa thoughtfully. "I came up with a better plan. You get to live with the knowledge of what your plan had wrought."

Chigusa laughed with insanity. "I was going to go back to The World to heal my useless arm. I think its better this way so at least one part of me will no longer feel pain." She stabbed the useless arm over and over her own blood ran down her arm. Innis reached down to heal the cuts.

Toru backed away tripping over his own feet. He fell to the ground. He could not long look at Chigusa and the nightmare she became. He closed his eyes and turned his head as Chigusa mutilated her arm. Criminal profilers talk about a trigger in certain psychopaths that cause them to murder someone. It can be something that is said or something they see or here. With Chigusa it is the starvation of attention and Toru no longer looking her.

Chigusa stopped stabbing her arm and walked toward Toru. "Listen to what people have to say! Listen to what people have to say! Toru, why won't you listen to what people have to say!" she yelled. Chigusa stood over Toru. "I want you to look at me! I want you to look at me! Toru, why won't you look at me?"

Toru forced himself to look up at her. She raised the knife. "I-I'm l-looking at you," he stammered. "I am looking at you! Can't you see I'm looking at you?" Chigusa was too far gone in her psychotic episode to notice it.

Toru screamed as Innus pinned him to the ground between his giant fingers. Chigusa brought down the knife and stabbed Toru in the chest over and over. "Nobody ever looks at me! Nobody ever looks at me! Nobody over looks at me!" she yelled each time stabbing Toru in the chest. Toru could not defend himself because of Innis.

Chigusa stopped when her voice became hoarse. She looked down at Toru and the bloody death she had caused. "I ruined the plan. I am sorry." She felt Innis in her mind. She smiled and said, "Yes, that's an even better plan." She laid the knife in Toru's open hand.

Chigusa turned and walk away. She returned to Toru's house. She took a shower to clean herself off. She raided Toru's mother's wardrobe and changed clothes. She took her old bloody clothes in a bag. She would burn them later. Afterwards Innis created an illusion around the blood traces still in the shower to hide it from the eyes of the world so the police could not find any blood belonging to Chigusa.

Chigusa left the house and walked down the street. People started to appear before her. Like mirages in the desert they became more solid. To the people Chigusa saw she was not there. She wanted no one to look at her for now but soon enough they would look at her.

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News Capture:

In one of the most bizarre and horrific mass murderers in recent Japan history, the slain bodies of the Kusake and Uike family and an as yet unidentified Korean man were found brutally slain in her homes in the early morning. A possible sixth victim, Chigusa Kusaka is still missing. A partial victim of Doll Syndrome with a paralyzed arm, Chigusa went missing forty-eight hours before the murders. According to a police spokesperson, the crimes are so brutal and hideous in their nature that it will take some time before the police will release the actual details of murderers in a tasteful manner the public will be able to handle the truth.

In a shocking development the police have said that ten-year-old Toru Uike is the possible murderer. His body was found in alley near his home where he stabbed himself to death. DNA testing of the blood has found it is the weapon used on the victims. Police have stated they found written and electronic journals of the young boy where he writes about his general contempt and hatred toward people because of their chaotic and selfish natures. Toru wrote about showed a person with egomaniacal tendencies. Profilers have said that Toru finally gave into his hatred and contempt and lashed out toward those who are closest to him in the most violent of ways. Police are trying to find a link between Toru and the Korean man he killed or whether the man was just a random victim.

Its also been reported that Toru and Chigusa were regular players of the popular online game The World and played the game together for a long time. They both belonged to the guild known as Moon Tree. When contacted and asked about their relationship, the leader of the guild Zelkova, who wished to have his real name be not mentioned, said "Like everyone else I am shocked and horrified by Toru's actions. He and Chigusa were always peaceful in the game. The members of Moon Tree and I are praying for the families who are affected by this tragedy and also for Chigusa's safe return. Some of our older members along with other players who knew Chigusa well are currently helping the police to find her."

The bizarre part of the case is one thing police have not yet figured out is how Toru was able to get to the places he did in such a short time between each murder. Police checked local bus and train stations and found that Toru did not use either modes of transport. One detective said, "Unless Toru can fly there is no way he could have gotten to each place so quickly. We are still searching for any clues of an accomplice who could take him to each place. Given Toru's hatred toward people that is very unlikely. That is one part of the mystery that will taken the longest to uncover."

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Chiro woke up with renewed vigor. A new day with a new job that he actually liked. After getting out of the shower he noticed the bathroom door was open. It unnerved him for a second then decided he was so excited he forgot to close the door. Chiro wiped the steam off the mirror. He thought he saw a teenage girl standing behind him. Chiro blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Come on stupid, you're supposed to be excited not hallucinating." He slapped his cheeks to get it together and continued about his daily routine of shaving and combing his hair.

Chigusa stood behind him looking at the mirror unseen and unheard. She smiled at Chiro's reflection in the mirror and said, "You are looking at me. I like when you look at me. Thank you for looking at me."

**_The End_**

_Author's note: Needed a break from the long stories I'm known for writing. As I was writing another .hack story, I was writing a scene Sakaki and got to thinking about him and Atoli and the scene where Haseo is forced to fight her. I got to thinking about what would happen if the real life Atol(Chigusa) and Sakaki(Toru) met. Better yet, (or not depending on how one perceives this story), I got the idea of Chigusa totally losing it and going after those who pissed her off the most meaning her parents, the Sirius who basically ended up with Innis, and of course Sakaki and the people who brought him into the world in the first place. Chigusa and Toru are the actual names of the players who are Atoli and Sakaki in the game.  
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**_Meanwhile in the real World . . ._**

By

Chad 'Graeystone' Harger

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_.hack and all related characters is copyright 2007 Bandai/Namco all rights reserved. Meanwhile in the real World . . .is copyright 2007 Chad Harger. Please do not reprint or reproduce this story anywhere else on the Internet without the strict permission of the author. If you wish to post this story elsewhere, please e-mail with your request and the web address of the site you would the story to appear on._


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